Few actors can claim the versatility and dedication that Vijay Varma brings to the table. With his ability to slip seamlessly into any character, he has emerged as a powerhouse performer in Indian cinema and streaming platforms. In this candid conversation, Vijay takes us through his roots in Hyderabad, his evolving career, and his personal life, including his much-talked-about relationship with Tamannaah Bhatia.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, the Gully Boy actor shares a very special connection with the city of Nizams. The actor gets nostalgic thinking about his childhood days with friends and ensures that he takes time out to visit the city often. "I wanted to work in the Hindi language because I was more familiar with it, and I trained in Pune, which was very close to Bombay. It made all the sense to move to this city with all my friends who had passed out from the film school from the same batch. I moved from Hyderabad to Mumbai for work, but my heart is still in Hyderabad, and I make it a point to visit often."
Although Varma enjoys working in the Hindi language, he would like to explore more options in different languages. "As much as I enjoy working in the Hindi language, I am not averse to the idea of doing films in multiple languages including Telugu. I am doing one Tamil film next with Suriya and Dulquer Salman (Suriya 43).
As the year draws to a close, Vijay reflects on his recent achievements. "Yeah, there is lots to celebrate, which I believe is a blessing, but there is also this fire in my belly to do more. I have taken two-three months off to unwind and spend time with friends, something I couldn’t do earlier while shooting. Now, if anybody is celebrating their birthday, I am there. Something or the other is getting planned among my knowns, I want to be there. I can’t wait to kickstart the new year with fresh projects," says the Lust Stories actor, who recently returned from a vacation in Texas with Tamannaah Bhatia, who he credits for his success in the last two years.
When asked about his current state of happiness, both personally and professionally, he says, "I guess it's years of persistence, work, patience, and, I think, maybe lady luck on my side right now—a collection of all these things." While Vijay is reserved about his personal life, it’s clear that love has brought an added sense of balance and joy to his life.
Although Varma is riding high on success with multiple projects, he does open up about the hardships he faced to shape his career as an actor. The actor credits life’s challenges for shaping him into a better actor. "Hardships teach you something about yourself. They help you discover parts of your personality and how you behave in tough situations. These life experiences come in handy when performing scenes. I have discussed this with several actors and we have come to an overall opinion that the more you engage and interact with real life, the richer you can be as a performer because you can feed off from your experiences," confesses the actor.
With successful roles across films and OTT platforms, the Darlings actor sees no boundary between mediums. "The nervousness and excitement are the same across formats. But I do enjoy the collective watching experience because it's something that is so unique to our job that – it's also a condition., like Somebody who is probably born in 2018 or later, they would only know a world where everything is so easily available on a screen in their homes and in their hands, but we didn't have it, so we were trained to go to a place and surrender ourselves, give our two-three hours in a dark room to witness another kind of world. So, I am fascinated by that. Watching it with other people is something I enjoy. So, even if I am watching a show, I am watching it with a bunch of friends, I enjoy that," Varma expresses.
But how do you select a role you would want to do, considering you did speak about taking up roles for money in the past? We ask. "It's a collective thought-for something like Dahaad, I would say when I read the script I knew the people involved. It was Reema and Zoya who were part of the writing team. Reema was going to direct it. I knew the actors involved. I just found the role extremely scary and fascinating at the same time. But I knew the effect of the role on the audience's mind. If done well, it will be very scary. For Darlings, I was disgusted by the guy and I was like, 'I don't want to do it', and then I had the journey of finding a reason to do it and the biggest reason was that the film spoke about a very relevant issue. If this man is not the right kind of portrayal, then the film fails, and I wanted to be the right portrayal. Sometimes I take that challenge as well," he shares.
When asked about regrets or missed opportunities, the Mirzapur actor confidently says, "No, I think I made the right choices in letting go of certain projects. But at the same time, I am sure there aren't too many bad decisions, in fact I think I made sure that I don't make bad decisions."
The actor collaborated with Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films which he says was an opportunity to redefine global themes. "I like to break boundaries and explore new themes and discuss them with other filmmakers," says the actor in conclusion.
Read More:
- Exclusive | Sania Mirza: "I Was Not Put On The Earth To Just Hit Tennis Balls"
- Exclusive | Divyakriti Singh Rathore, India's First Female Equestrian Arjuna Awardee, On Her Goals And Challenges
- American Poet Brian Turner: "I Find It Inspiring To See The Deep And Abiding Love Of Poetry That Exists In India
